Twenty Three
by krissyg927
Summary: After being away for a long time Daryl comes home to more than he expected. AU no ZA. Caryl.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Just some nonsense I had floating around in my computer

Warning: Carol is a little mad at Daryl at first, but it wont last. :) Also language warning.

Twenty three is a song I like a lot. I'll put up lyrics, :)

Its also the age they were last time they saw each other.

 **AS always thank you for reading. :)**

It was such a beautiful day. Carol would always remember that. It had been a beautiful day, when he blew back into town. Carol, Tara and Andrea just got done with

their 7-3 shift in the ER. It was Friday and they were all off for the weekend.

There was nothing better than it being your weekend off. If you were a nurse, which they all were.

Working every other weekend was not a good time. But it came with the job, along with night shifts and holidays.

The sick needed care every day, not just Monday to Friday.

They were out fairly early 3:45 which was good considering they had to give report for a full house. That could take hours sometimes, depending on how critical the patients were.

They were sending a few up to the floors so that cut out some of the time it took.

So they were free till Monday morning at 6:30. The weather was going to be nice and they had some plans for their days off. Life was good.

They were laughing and chattering with each other, like always.

Tara heard the whistle before Carol did, two short bursts and looked over. She couldn't believe her eyes. The man she saw standing there had been gone a long time.

They actually hadn't known where he was. He had gone on a six month trip with his brother on their bikes and just never came back.

They were walking out of the hospital, onto the side walk, she Carol and Andrea. Andrea and Carol looked over at the same time.

There he stood, leaning against his bike smoking a cigarette like he hadn't been MIA for five years. Like it was just another day and he

was waiting to see if they wanted to go out, like it used to be. But it wasn't like that anymore. He was wearing his usual jeans and a shirt

with the sleeves cut off and boots, always boots. He looked the same.

Carol could not believe her eyes really and she was almost in shock. It didn't last too long though.

Tara watched as Carol turned to them. Very calm, extremely calm, Tara was impressed. She was keeping her cool it seemed.

"Excuse me one second." She said, he voice missing the usual softness.

Maybe not Tara thought to herself.

She walked over and he smiled at her, a smile that went right up to his eyes, until he saw her arm raised. He stopped her from landing the slap on his face and held her wrist. Then he spoke to her in that slow drawl that he had, what Carol had once called his panty dropper voice. It had certainly worked on her, that was for sure. That was a long time ago though and she wasn't falling for it. Not again, not this time.

"Ah, ah." He said warding off her hand. "What smatter, aint glad to see me." He laughed and then kissed her hard on the lips. She pulled

back and slapped him for real. He just laughed. He had expected as much.

"Oh ok, it's like that?" He laughed, shaking his head.

She turned and started walking back to her two friends. He got on the bike and kick started it.

"I'll see you later Carol." He called after her.

She raised her middle finger and he laughed as he drove past. Behind her Tara put up two fingers and said "Deuces Daryl."

"What the ever-loving fuck?" Andrea said.

"Oh right you weren't here, can I tell her? "Tara said.

"Whatever. "Carol said, shaking the sting out of her hand. "Knock yourself out."

Tara almost saw steam coming out of her ears.

"That's Sophia's father." Tara said.

"Oh shit." Andrea said. "Where's he been?"

"Dunno, haven't seen him in almost five years." Carol said, shrugging.

"And He doesn't know about Sophia." Tara added.

The three friends walked to Andrea's car and got in all the while having a conversation. Andrea and Carol got in the front Tara in the back.

"So, what happened, he looked happy to see you." Andrea asked.

"He's full of shit." Carol said.

"Daryl, is a paramedic, used to work here, they had a thing." Tara shrugged.

"We were fuck buddies." Carol rolled her eyes. "Let's call it what it was Tara."

"A thing, and a baby, why didn't you tell him." Andrea started the car.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A/N; As always thank you for reading and reviewing, I love you all.

 **A/N: Lyrics to 23 by Jimmy Eat World.**

 **I felt for sure last night,**

 **That once we said good bye.**

 **No one else will know these lonely dreams,**

 **No one else will know that part of me.**

 **I'm still driving away,**

 **And I'm sorry every day,**

 **I won't always love these selfish things,**

 **I won't always live, not stopping,**

Andrea turned to Carol, she had known her two years, after she moved to Georgia from New York. Carol was the first person she had met at work. She was actually her Charge Nurse on the floor. Andrea admired her, but for the life of her she didn't understand why Carol never told this guy there was a baby. That wasn't in tune with the Carol she knew at work. She was so on top of her game the way she ran the ER. This guy made her totally loose her mind. Andrea laughed, well, that's how love was, her friend loved him, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"Couldn't find him." Carol said, shrugging.

"You never even looked. "Tara said. "Daryl peaced out with his older brother. Didn't he call you a few times from the road?"

Carol nodded.

"Then she changed her number." Tara said from the backseat. "You were pissed." Tara leaned up on the back of Carol's seat. Her chin on the headrest.

"Ok maybe a little." Carol admitted. "I was 23, young, I'm calmer now."

"Yeah, because that was calm." Tara said. "You know, smacking him, just now."

She laughed. Carol shook her head, she had acted on impulse. That was nothing new when it came to him. More than once she had lost her mind and acted on impulse, because of him. Some people just had that effect on others. Sophia was a direct result of that, her beautiful girl, whom she adored. And She wouldn't change a thing. Not one thing.

Andrea started the car and backed out of the parking spot.

"Daryl's alright Andrea, but he might have deserved it, a little." Tara said, holding up two fingers, he thumb and pointer to show make that motion.

Andrea deadpanned. "That was some slap girlfriend."

"He had it coming and anyway, I was not about any long distance friends with benefits crap." Carol said. "We both agreed. He was leaving and when he came back we would see where we both were, maybe we would pick right up again or maybe not. In six months."

Tara rolled her eyes in the back seat.

"I didn't miss him, he probably didn't miss me." Carol continued, she had missed him.

Sophia was colicky, for the first seven months of her life. She could have used the help.

"Sure, Carol, keep telling yourself that." Tara said.

"Look I wasn't going to chase him down, I chose to have Sophia, and it was my responsibility."

She peered back at Tara and Tara shrugged.

"I wonder why he's here then? If he wasn't looking for you, which by the way, I don't think is true, I think he was looking for you that was a smoking hot kiss." Tara said.

"His father died, I read it in the paper." Carol said. "That's why he's here, it isn't because of me."

"And you slapped him, when his Daddy is dead." Tara said. "Whoa that's harsh."

Carol turned back. "I lost my head ok. Next topic, lets move on."

"Agreed." Tara said from the back seat. "You still have those pictures of Daryl doing body shots on you. Eugene didn't believe that his red haired goddess was a wild one back in the day."

Andrea's eyes shot up. "Body shots, with that guy, sign me up."

"Really Tara, you discuss my life with the transport guys?" Carol said.

"Look he asked me if you ever got that stick out of your ass and it kind of went on from there, I was defending you, there's no stick up your ass." Tara said. "He thinks you're some kind of Ice Goddess, untouchable and revered, I'm not kidding, in the creepy stalker type way."

"Thanks Tara, he's harmless, I know you have my back with the transport guys, but I'd prefer that the whole staff not know all my secrets."

"Dually noted, I'll refrain from that next time, but he was pissing me off."

Andrea shook her head carpooling with these two was always an adventure. People always talked about New Yorkers but these southerners had Andrea dumbfounded some times.

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Carol had Sophia in a shopping cart and was busily getting the items they needed on their list. They were making meatloaf and mashed potatoes, or as Sophia said, smashed totatoes.

Sophia was just at the age where she noticed everything around her. The world was an exciting place at four years old. She helped by reaching on low shelves when Carol told her what to pick, they were a good team.

As she came around the corner she banged right into the cart Merle Dixon was pushing.

"Well, hey there little mouse….long time so see, you're looking good." He nodded to himself." How about a hug for your ole pal Merle."

"Hey, Merle." She smiled a thin smile, this was not in her plan for the day. Merle Dixon was not stupid, he was going to figure this out in about three seconds and then she was screwed. She just wasn't ready to have Daryl Dixon crash back into her life. She knew he would, once he found out about Sophia, he and Merle would make it their business to get involved. They had a right to, she wouldn't stop them, but she liked it just being her and Sophia these past four years. Life as she knew it, was about to change, in a real way. She wasn't ready for it.

He swooped her up in a big hug, just as Daryl was coming down the aisle. Merle started to turn to Sophia with her blonde hair in pig tails and ribbons, and her big blue eyes. She reminded him of someone, except for the light blue dress she wore of course.

"Sorry about your Dad Merle." She said trying to distract him, because she saw him looking at Sophia and she could tell his wheels were turning. He looked over at Daryl walking up the isle and back at Sophia.

"Don't worry, mouse we aint, you know that, it's all good." Merle said. "Good riddance to that old bastard, course we got the house now, we gonna be stayin." He looked at Sophia again and tickled her hand. Leaning down to get a good look at the little girl. "Puttin down roots ya know, mouse, who's this sweet little lady here?"

"This is Sophia."

"Well, aren't you cute as a bug?" He smiled at Sophia and tickled her hand again. "She's beautiful Carol, what a sweet little girl, you have here."

He looked at her, assessing her reaction, he gave her credit, and she kept her cool. He knew he was looking at his brother's child right now, any idiot could see it.

Daryl walked up with that same cocky stride he always had and for a moment she remembered how it had been with them. She never could resist him. They were young and neither wanting to be tied down, but what they had? It had been good.

"You're the boy from the picture. "Sophia said her, little blue eyes wide, squeaking, in her little girl voice, pointing at Daryl. Merle looked over at Carol and raised his eyebrows, she pretended not to notice.

"Sophia don't point." Carol scolded, pushing her hand down. "That's rude honey, and when did you go in mommy's desk?"

"I sorry Mommy, I was looking for crayons." She squeaked. Merle smiled, this little girl had already wormed her way into his heart.

Sophia stared at Daryl as he walked over to where Merle and Carol were talking. He put the eggs and milk he had been carrying into their cart.

"Fancy meeting you here Car, small world huh?" He smiled at her and knocked her shoulder with his, and she smiled back grimly.

"My Mommy has a picture of you and her in her desk under her pencil case." Sophia said.

"She does huh?" He smiled at her." She throw darts at it or something. "Daryl said, walking around to where Sophia sat in the cart. She smiled wide at him, Daryl looked at Carol and she nodded permission and he tickled Sophia's chin.

"What are darts mister?" Sophia giggled.

"Very funny, we're old friends Sophia. This is Mr. Dixon." Carol said.

"Oh, she can call me…." Daryl started to say but she cut him off.

"Mr. Dixon, You're a grown up, she calls you Mr. Dixon." Carol said.

Sophia smiled up at him. "Mr. Dixon." She squeaked.

"Well hello there little lady, what's your name, Peaches?" Merle said to her.

"No it's not peaches." She giggled. "I'm Sophia what's your name?"

"He's Mr. Dixon, both of these guys are Mr. Dixon." Carol piped up. "They're brothers, old friends of Mommy's."

"Well, this is a nice reunion." Merle said, smiling and nodding his head. "You and mouse here baby brother. "

"Oh we had that already the other day, right Car." He winked at her.

"Yeah, about that." Carol said. "No hard feelings right?"

"We're good Carol, no problem."

He nodded at her. She nodded back

"Ok, we have to get going, we have dinner to make, right Sophia?" Carol said, smiling and leaning down to kiss her daughter.

"Right, we're having smashed tatotos. " She said happily and Merle smiled down at her.

"Ok, little lady, don't want to keep you from your smashed totatos." Merle said.

"Nice to see you Carol, be seeing you around I'm sure." Daryl said.

"I'm sure." Carol said and nodded to them both and turned and walked down the aisle.

Merle and Daryl started down the opposite way, Daryl pushing the cart.

"Anything about that kid strike you as...….familiar, brother?" Merle said.

"What do ya mean?"

"Well Baby brother, I might be wrong, but I don't think so, that little girl belongs to you."

Daryl's head snapped around, he stopped walking as Merle continued on. He had been looking at Carol's ass as she walked away. She still had a great ass, he was thinking to himself. What was Merle going on about?

"What?" He said. As Merle turned around to him a few feet away.

"That little girl looks just like you when you were that age, all blue eyes and blonde hair."

"Ya think?" He ran his hand through his hair, contemplating this, doing the math. That kid was around four. Yeah it was a real possibility. He felt something twisting inside of him.

 _She was four years old and he hadn't been here. No wonder Carol was mad, he didn't like himself right at this moment either._

"I would know, since I was the one carrying your ass around all over the place." Merle said, matter of factly. "Don't see no ring on her finger, either, it's just her and that baby."

"I know." He had checked the other day. "Already checked that."

"Kids the right age, and Carol was being all sketchy didn't say your name, did ya notice. Called ya Mr. Dixon." Merle said as he walked over to him.

"Kind of explains the slap, I guess."

"Mouse slapped you, hahahaha." He let out a huge belly laugh.

"Yeah yesterday at the hospital, I even waited special till she got off her shift to say hi." Daryl said.

"Dumbass." Merle cackled. "Ok looks like we have some work to do brother, hope you're ready, you ran my ass ragged when you were that age, and this one's a girl, God Help us."

They started to walk down the aisle again.

"Well now I guess I get it why she was a little hostile, I gotta talk to her, the sooner the better."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: **Thank you to all who favorite, followed and left reviews. This story is different than what I'm used to writing. I appreciate the feed back. As always I don't own it, but if I did, oh the humanity.**

Lori and Carol sat at the table in the bar. It was Wednesday night. She was off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Then she worked the weekend with Tara and Andrea. She was looking forward to relaxing with her friends. She hadn't see Lori all week.

It was not a bad schedule as far as hospital hours went, it could be worse. She had dinner with her friends at least once a week, these were Daryl's friends too, when he lived here. Carol knew it was only a matter of time before their paths crossed again. She wasn't dreading it. But she wasn't looking forward to it either. Life was just simpler a few days ago, that was all. He was back though and if he wanted to be in Sophia's life she would let him. But they were not happening again, she wasn't falling for that again. He was so charming, and he could charm the pants off a nun, she was sure.

This was their usual place, a roadside bar that had an outdoor patio in the summer and in the winter they enclosed it. The owner was an ex-football player names Tyreese Johnson and his wife Karen tended bar or waitressed as she was needed. The food was good, Tyreese's brother Theodore had gone to Johnson and Wales Culinary College, so he brought a lot of knowledge to the kitchen.

Lori and Rick got a babysitter for their twins, who were ten years old now. Andrea had Sophia for a few days because her nieces Lizzie and Mika were staying with her. Her sister Amy was on her honeymoon, she and her husband Rudy were due back on Friday.

"So he just came walking up at the hospital like it was no big deal?" Lori asked.

Carol took a sip of her drink as she nodded.

"Rick is going to be so glad to see him, it's good he came back right?" Lori said,

"Well, sure, I just wasn't expecting it." She said.

Lori nodded and scooped a tortilla chip into the nachos they were sharing. She was watching the door for Rick and Shane, they were due there any minute,

"Heads up here comes Daryl." Lori said, tilting her head towards the door from inside the bar to the outdoor patio where they sat.

"Oh for crying out loud, he's been here a week and it's like he's following me, he's everywhere." Carol sighed,

"This is a small town." Lori said. "Did you tell him about Sophia yet?" Lori asked.

"I'm going to, I didn't get the chance yet."

"Before she goes to college, yeah." Lori laughed.

"When are Michonne and Tara getting here?"

"Half an hour, I think, Michonne had to drop Andre off at Nick's. Hey you should talk to her, she and Nick figured it out."

Daryl came over and sat down with them. Carol looked over, he was so handsome, and he only got better looking over the last five years. He had filled out and wasn't the gangly 23 year old he once was, he was a man now.

Sophia had his eyes, she wondered if he had noticed. She was sure Merle noticed, Merle noticed everything.

"Ladies." He smiled and knocked Carol's shoulder.

"You called Rick yet Daryl, he's going to be so glad you're back." Lori asked.

"Nah, not yet, been finishing up business, I will though." He said taking a sip of Carol's drink as she rolled her eyes at him.

"He's meeting us, he and Shane are on their way."

He raised his eyebrows at Carol, she shook her head. No she was not on a date with Shane Walsh, she silently told him.

"Great, guess I'm staying a while, I hear the wings here are the shit." He smiled at Carol. "You forgive me right? Let me buy you a drink?"

She nodded.

"What are you ladies drinking tonight? "He out his arm around her, Carol looked down at his hand on her shoulder.

"Hold on their Romeo, been there done that."

Lori giggled, but he didn't remove his hand. Carol didn't ask him too either, Lori noted.

"You want a Martini Car?"

"The last time you bought me Martini's, well you know how that ended." She laughed.

"This time we won't move onto tequila, but I still may try to take you home again." He whispered in her ear, his breath hot on her skin. He watched goosebumps form on her neck. He let his lips linger on her ear and the spot right below, for a split second and then moved away.

"I think you and me have something to talk about, don't we Car?"

Lori's eyes went wide, he had figured it out. Just then she see rick and Shane coming out on the deck of the bar. Rick was going to be glad to see Daryl, they had grown up together and had been as close as brother's. Shane was his partner on the force, but Daryl had always been his best friend. He had missed him when he was gone.

Rick had known Sophia was Daryl's deep down inside, as the little girl grew, he saw more and more of the traits of his best friend in her. No one knew how to reach him though, so Daryl had missed out on the first four years of her life. Rick was grateful he was around for Carl and Judith. When he saw his old friend sitting at the table with his wife and Carol, his face broke out into a wide smile.

Daryl stood up and they shook hands, exchanging greetings, between Rick, Shane and Daryl and the girls.

"Come on Rick, let's get these ladies some drinks." He said to Rick.

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A few drinks later and a few plates of T dog's famous wings and Carol and Daryl went out for a cigarette break, Carol smoked when she drank and when the father of her child showed up out of nowhere after a five year absence. She was giving herself a lot of latitude tonight. He stuck to her like glue, sitting next to her the whole night and even asking her to dance which she declined. But it was time now, she needed to tell him, what she suspected he already knew.

"Listen we have to talk for real." She started.

"Ok talk." He said lighting his cigarette.

"It's, Sophia."

"Where is peaches tonight anyway?" Daryl asked.

"With Andrea, my friend from work, and her nieces, having a sleepover."

"Ok, so what do ya wanna talk about?" He knew, or thought he did anyway.

"I don't know how to tell you this, all these years, I thought it would be so easy." She shook her head. "It's not like I imagined."

He looked at her as she stumbled over her words. Merle was right, how had he not seen it, not known his own child. He was never leaving his daughter again, he wanted to be a part of her life and be involved in everything. Carol had been right about that. She did know him well, they just didn't belong together.

"I know ok?" He said. "How could I not know? I mean come on she's beautiful, like her Mamma, but she's all Dixon too."

He smiled at her and took a drag from his cigarette. Carol took a sip of her drink and put it down on the window sill of the bar. Her heart felt like it was going to burst and she didn't quite know why.

"You have no idea, that kid is a little hell raiser when she wants to be, she gets that from you." She pointed at him, and he smiled shrugging.

"I'm not the one that slapped me for no reason." He laughed moving away as her hand went up to hit his arm playfully. "Think it's you she gets that from."

"I was in shock, ok, you showing up like that."

She turned to him. He offered her a cigarette and she took it. He went to light it for her looking up at her through the bangs hanging over his eyes.

"Let's make another one."

She looked over at him sideways, he always was an outrageous flirt and he always made her laugh.

"You're drunk."

"Yes I am, but there's no denying how beautiful she is, we did that, ya know?"

"I'm sure you're still trying to process that, I'm sorry I slapped you." She said.

"I deserved it."

"No you really didn't, we had no claim on each other, we agreed." Carol said shaking her head. 'It wasn't anything serious."

"But I wasn't gone three months like I said." He looked at her. "And it's pretty serious now."

"That's true."

"Will you let me be in her life?" He asked hopefully.

"If you're staying. If you aren't than I don't think it's a good idea."

"I am, I'm here for good now, just try and get rid of me." He smiled. "What will you tell her, can't really say, you know those two guys in the grocery store, the cute ones your father. "He laughed.

"She knows about you." Carol said.

He looked over surprised.

"I told her you were lost, and trying to come home, she's five I didn't know what to say. "She looked at him. "Hey I did the best I could, she even knows your name, and didn't you notice I wouldn't let you say your name."

He nodded. Yup, he and Merle both noticed that.

"I noticed, Merle did too, very shady Carol." He smiled. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here, why didn't anyone look for me."

"Look I wasn't calling you back from you're adventure, biking across the country listening to 'Free bird'. With Merle." She said. "Like some harpy, I knew one day you'd be back."

"But you don't have to do this alone, you never did. I would have come back."

"You're here now, that's what matters." She said.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Warning, talk of serious past drug addiction.**

Later they sat at a table alone, long after their friends left. They had switched to coffee because they both needed to be sober for this discussion. They would need to be sober most of the time now if they were going to be parents together to Sophia. She knew when he eventually came back he would be all in for this. She knew his history and he knew hers. They had been great friends back in the day, friends that sometimes slept together. It wasn't any grand romance, they had been so young, and not looking for that. Sophia was a surprise for sure, but a happy one. She never regretted having her, not for one second. Sophia brought a joy to her life she never even knew she was missing.

Daryl was different though, his time away with Merle had changed him somehow. He seemed older than twenty eight, she wondered what they had been through. She would ask him another day.

"So now what?" He asked her and really she had no clue.

"I don't know, honestly, there's so much, you know?"

"Can I say something?" He asked taking a sip of his coffee.

"Please." She waved her hand towards him smiling.

"She has to come first, I know you feel that way, and I just want you to know we're on the same page."

She nodded.

"I aint ever come first with anyone, I don't want that for her." He said.

She knew that, he had told her about his father, she had seen the scars on his back.

That had been an accident actually, but he told her what his father did. She had wanted to cry for him, for that little boy. This was how she knew, once she knew, that he would be a wonderful father.

"I know that, I was never worried about that." She relied.

"But I don't know how to do this, what do you need?" He looked up at her. Turned his head to get his hair out of his eyes. His eyes, blue as the ocean, beautiful, like her daughter's.

"Do you need money? Does she need anything I can get for her?" He asked and already she was nodding.

"She needs lots of things Daryl, kids are expensive, it will be good to have help now."

"Merle already said he can't wait for Christmas, he said he's going to spoil that girl rotten." He laughed.

His big badass brother was brought to his knees by a little girl in pigtails, it was unbelievable. And him? He stayed up all night after they saw Carol at the grocery store thinking. Wishing he had been here all along, he finally just forgave himself and vowed he would do his very best from this day forward. He knew it would do him no good to beat himself up over what he couldn't change. That fancy Doctor in Arizona had told him that over and over again, until he knew it in his heart.

He would have to tell Carol about that, his blood ran through Sophia's veins and they said drug addiction ran in families. He and Merle weren't exempt, he hoped his daughter would be. If she was raised by loving parents she had half a shot to not end up almost dead with a needle in her arm like her father.

 _Heroin was the love of his life. He loved no other as he loved that lover._

 _There was nothing that could make him forget better than dope._

 _When he was dancing with her he could forget his past, the abuse he had been through. He didn't care about his inability to form any kind of lasting bond with anyone. Not when she was around. She was all he ever thought he wanted or needed. But she is always a taker in the end, he wasn't the first person to find that out._

 _That's where he had been for the past five years. It started in Las Vegas and ended in Arizona when he nodded off in the parking lot of some dive motel in the car of some junkie girl he picked up. Merle found him just in time, the girl's boyfriend was ripping him out of the car and had a knife in his hand. Merle saved his life in more ways than one that night._

 _The rehab taught him how to live. How to be happy, joyous and free, no matter what. Free for the first time in his life._

 _He went through the requirements of the state to work again and came home._

 _There were a lot of addicts in the medical profession he found out. People who cared too much and couldn't handle the pain of others. A lot of abuse victims too, he wasn't alone. He wasn't unique or special. But he was clean three years and he knew how to stay clean._

"Listen Carol, I have to tell you something."

And he told her, true to the Carol he remembered, she nodded her head and listened without judgement. She assured him she had no intentions of keeping Sophia away from him. They would figure it out, how to tell her and introduce her to him.

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"What do you mean she has a boyfriend?" Daryl said leaning over the ER nurses station two days later. Tara was trying to chart on her twelve patients and he was annoying the hell out of her. Daryl and his partner Bob just brought in a walkie talkie that was short of breath with chest pain. He had stopped to look for Carol and Tara had said it by accident. She had work to do and when he asked for Carol, she said she was talking to her boyfriend. It had been a mistake she had been distracted. She pointed over to the other side of the ER in a hallway and there she stood with one of the doctors.

"That guy?" He made a face.

"That's Randall, Dr. Walker they date sometimes, she's not really into him all that much I don't think. Go away Daryl you just brought me another one I have to go assess. Take it up with her." She waved him away and grabbed her stethoscope.

"Oh I'm gonna don't you worry."

"What did you think she's been waiting all this time, get over yourself." Tara said standing up.

"She bring him around Sophia."

"I doubt that." She shooed him out of her way so she could go check on the guy they just brought in. "Look I gotta go push this Lasix, can you deal with this without me."

She walked away, headed to the medication room next to the nurse's station.

"Damn right." He said.

He looked at his watch, five pm, they weren't off shift till seven and Bob was still fetching them coffee. It would have to be now. He walked over to her and Randall and barged right into their space.

"Can I see you? In private."

"What?" She looked at him, making an annoyed face. "No, I'm working."

"Yeah, you look real busy." He took ahold of her arm. "Excuse us." He looked at the man's name badge. "Randall."

He led her down the hall and to a supply room with a glass door.

"Daryl, I'm working."

He punched the numbers into the lock and opened the door.

"Well, punch out charge nurse."

He led her inside. She turned and faced him crossing her arms across her chest.

"You bring that prick around my kid?"

"Oh." She said turning to go. "You have got to be kidding."

"What I stopped by to see if we could have coffee and finish talking about tomorrow and there you are, talking to that asshole." He waved his hand around in a gesture to prove his point.

"Are you jealous?" She turned back, her hand on the doorknob.

No." He said and shrugged. "Maybe, wasn't kidding when said we should make another one. We had a lot of fun making her." He gave her his best smile and a wink, guaranteed lady killer. And nothing, she just looked at him.

"Don't get it twisted Daryl, we." She moved her hand between them. "Are not happening, we will raise her together, but we aren't together, understand."

He nodded, he guessed he lost his head. He had read in that book he got from the library about parenting that sometimes even if you didn't love the mother of your child, your brain thought you did. Something about endorphins or pheromones or something. He knew it wasn't that.

"Are you still meeting us at the park tomorrow?" She asked.

He nodded, he wouldn't miss this date for anything in the world.

"Ok then, see you then, and stop this territorial nonsense, you got it."

She walked out and he nodded. Yeah he got it, it wasn't going to stop him from trying, but he got it. He walked out and there was Bob standing across the hall holding two coffees.

"You done now?" Bob asked.

He handed Daryl a cup of coffee.

"You have no idea."

They started to walk down the hall.

"Sasha said she's a great nurse."

Sasha was Bob's wife, an X-ray Tech in that hospital as well, they had been married two years and were so happy that Bob sometimes actually pinched himself for real to make sure it wasn't a dream.

"Of course she is, always was."

"Says she's very organized and thorough." He said.

"Yeah, that's her. She don't know it but I'm about to rock this organized life she thinks she has." Daryl remarked as they approached the automatic doors.

"That so?" Bob said.

"Yeah it's on. I want her." He said with no inflection. "And I always get my way."

Bob laughed as they were walking out the door. He liked working with Daryl, it was always an adventure.

"You do know her, don't you?" He laughed.

Daryl nodded. "I know her, and she knows me."

 **A/N: Hope I wasn't too graphic about the drugs.**

 **A walkie talkie is a patient who can walk into the ER on their own.**

 **Lasix is a diuretic that is used often to treat cardiac problems. Push means to give it intravenously.**

 **As always thank you for reading. Pm me any questions you may have.**

 **I heart you all.**


	5. Chapter 5

Merle sat on the front porch of his and Daryl's house, he was tired. He had been off and he spent the whole day cleaning, while Daryl was at work. He was sipping his coffee waiting for Daryl to get home. They had someplace to go. He heard the truck before he saw it, his old man's old piece of shit ford and then it was pulling up in the driveway. Daryl got out and walked to the steps, greeting Merle. Merle held up a cup of coffee for him and he sat down next to him,

"I gotta be there at eight to make the coffee, you coming with?"

Daryl nodded.

"You have the coffee commitment now?"

"For the next six months, every Friday night."

"Ok sign me up, I'll do it with you."

"Sign yourself up. You know how it works."

Daryl nodded, he did know how NA worked. He went to four NA meetings a week. In the beginning, every day, sometimes twice a day. That's how it worked, the more you went the better you felt. If you made coffee for everyone, that feeling was even better. It was funny how it worked.

He and Merle didn't really understand how the desire to use wasn't there any more after so many years. But it wasn't, plain and simple. Some things you didn't question, you just believed.

Before the dope it had been other things, now Merle abstained from all mood altering drugs, including alcohol. Daryl drank a little once in a while. Merle didn't judge, that wasn't his job, as long as Daryl was off the smack that was all he cared about.

"You see Carol today." Merle asked.

Daryl nodded looking over at Merle.

"You still going tomorrow?" Merle asked.

"Wouldn't miss it."

"You scared?"

"A little, I just wanna give her everything we didn't have, you know?" He turned to him looking for confirmation.

"Slow your roll brother, Carol might not be ready for you to bust in like gangbusters. You got to follow her lead on this."

"Don't want to."

"That's tough, you aint in control of it, how do you think that little girl would feel, you busting into her life saying I'm your Daddy."

Daryl shrugged.

"I can tell you confused and fucked up. This kid isn't gonna be fucked up like we were, so you do exactly what Carol says and leave that big fat ego of yours out of this." Merle pointed a finger at him for emphasis.

"Kind too late, she's dating some Doctor and I kind of got in her face about it at work."

Merle nodded. "At work?

"He looks like a dick." Daryl shrugged.

"What? You think you're going to make a little family with her?" Merle said.

Daryl shrugged. "I dunno." He sipped his coffee. "I want to."

"I'm telling you, slow your roll before you fuck this up before it even begins."

Merle stood up.

"Come on we need to stop and buy cookies too."

Daryl stood up too and walked towards the house.

"Let me just get cleaned up, I'll be ready in ten."

/

Daryl sat outside on the porch that night after he and Merle got home. He looked up at the stars and thought about his daughter. A week ago he didn't even know she existed and now she was all he could think of.

He tried to sort out how he was feeling about Carol. He had missed her, but the drugs got in the way of him coming back for her. He didn't blame her for being mad, he would be if it was the other way around.

He was grateful for a second chance. He wanted to be a father to her, the father he and Merle never had.

He was so lucky to even be alive, he would not squander this time, like he had done the last five years.

Merle wanted to be an uncle and was thrilled, but wanted to wait a while to meet her. He thought Daryl would be enough for the girl at one time.

He was right, Daryl supposed, they didn't want to traumatize the child. He laughed to himself. Merle could be a little loud and a little scary. Though when he met her at the store the other day Daryl had to admit, his brother was a natural with kids.

/

"Sophia you remember Mr. Dixon."

She looked up from her coloring book as they both sat down on the floor with her. She nodded, the boy from the picture. She saw him at the grocery store the other day.

"The boy from the picture."

"We have something to tell you honey. He and I." Carol said, touching his hand for a moment.

Sophia looked at her. Carol pulled her onto her lap and Daryl sat next to her. The three of them on the living room floor.

"I didn't know you had seen that picture honey, I was waiting to show it to you when you were older."

"Why?"

She looked at them confused. Carol continued and she watched Daryl's breathing start to increase, he was getting nervous. She was too actually, she was praying this went ok. She didn't want to upset Sophia.

"It's a picture of Daryl." Carol said slowly. She had told Sophia all about him when she started asking questions. She was at the age where she noticed things around her. Some of her friends had fathers so she had asked. Carol had told her his name, but was keeping the picture till she got older.

"My Daddy, Daryl?"

"Yes honey." She touched his hand again.

Sophia looked first at Carol then at Daryl, back at Carol as the realization dawned on her. She smiled, but also looked like she might cry. Her lower lip was trembling and Daryl suddenly felt like maybe they shouldn't have told her. He didn't want to upset her or make her cry.

Then she launched herself into his lap.

"I'm so glad you came home." She said as she launched herself into his lap, hugging him so tight and not letting go.

In that moment Daryl knew he would never love another human being as much as he loved this little girl.

 ** _A/N: NA is slang for Narcotics Anonymous a program that truly saves lives if you work it the way you are told. A coffee commitment is making the coffee for the group at the meeting. It is a humbling task that gives newcomers something to do to feel productive. Usually when someone is new they feel at their worst, being given something to feel a part of the group is a way to connect and feel worthwhile again._**

 ** _I won't be talking about this much in this story, but just wanted to give a little explanation of things._**

 ** _Thanks for reading._**

 ** _Let me know what you think._**


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: Just some back ground and a not-date._**

They took Sophia to the park together. They sat on the bench and watched their daughter play on the playground with all the other kids. Daryl was still dumbfounded by Sophia's easy acceptance of him.

She had hugged him tight and kissed him on the cheek and just about melted his heart.

He was wrapped around her finger already.

Carol had made it so easy because as soon as Sophia started asking questions she told her the truth, what she knew of anyway.

Sophia knew her Daddy was named Daryl and he rode a motorcycle. At the age of five that was enough to tell her.

She would not know the complications of things.

That her parents had a relationship that was never a relationship. That they slept together with no commitment to each other at all.

What people called friends with benefits or fuckbuddies.

They slept together eight or nine times in three month period and then he left with Merle for a four or five month trip. Five years ago.

It was no big deal to either of them, except now it was because of Sophia.

"It's a pretty name." He said looking over at her.

"Hmmm?" She hadn't been listening, she had been looking at Sophia and a little girl she was playing with in the sandbox.

"It was after you're grandmother right?"

"You remembered that?" She turned to him.

He nodded. Pushing his hair away from his eyes where it had been. His hair was always falling in his eyes, that hadn't changed and it made him seen so much younger than he was.

"I remember a lot of things." He said.

He knocked her shoulder with his, grinning at her.

"So do you, I can tell."

"Are you doing this every time we're together?"

He shrugged. "Probably."

She shook her head. He was still the same, still adorable, but she couldn't do that again.

"You know, I'm persistent."

"Yeah I do." She pointed to Sophia. "That's how we got her."

"She's so beautiful, Carol, I can't believe I missed so much."

"Just don't miss anymore, it's a new start ok?"

He looked up at her, she saw in his eyes how hopeful he was. He wanted to start over with her, he had said as much. He had said it a few times, actually, the last time being yesterday when he pulled her into the supply closet.

"I like that idea Carol." He said taking her hand, she allowed it, she didn't want to make a scene, that was all.

His hand didn't feel good in hers. Not at all.

/

Tara was running late but Andrea was on time. Carol saw her pull in to the parking lot and walking into the restaurant shortly after. It was Andrea's birthday, they always took each other out for their birthdays. It was always the same restaurant they all loved across town from the hospital. For the last few years it had been a tradition, Carol got a babysitter and three times a year for each of their birthdays they went out.

On Friday nights they had a ladies special on drinks and appetizers which helped keep their budget under control.

They wanted to make birthdays special since they were all single. But nurses don't make a whole lot of money, this place worked well.

Carol was already sitting at the table texting the babysitter, Beth from next door to check on Sophia. Beth assured her Sophia was sleeping and had been doing a lot of talking about her Daddy.

Carol sighed, since they had told her five days ago and then took her to the park, Sophia had not stopped talking about him to her, and anyone else who would listen. He came over for dinner a few nights ago and played with Sophia on the floor for two hours. Sophia was over the moon, and so was he.

Carol couldn't help but smile when she watched them together. It made her all warm inside watching them and she physically had to stop herself from thinking things she knew weren't a good idea.

She had been down that road with him already. But holding his hand had been nice. He said he wanted them to be a real family.

She wasn't sure. She thought she would be sure and without doubt if this was what was meant to be.

So right now she wasn't doing anything, except letting him be a father.

This morning Sophia asked when he was moving in and Carol had dropped the syrup bottle right on the floor.

She had to explain to Sophia that yes he was her Daddy, but he wasn't going to be a Daddy in the house with them. He would be a Daddy that lived in his own house.

Sophia didn't like that idea, she started to pout and refuse to eat her pancakes. Carol explained that it was like her friend Sylvia, who's Daddy came on the weekend and took her to his house. As expected Sophia then asked when she was going to Daddy's for the weekend, was it going to be this weekend?

That was a loaded gun right there, Sophia learning to cuss like a sailor from Merle, she couldn't wait for that.

Carol sighed and said maybe sometime soon. Sophia accepted that answer and then started to eat happily.

Carol was starting to worry though they had just started this and already she saw multiple problems ahead. But for now she was eating her pancakes and happy to "Play" with Beth later. One step at a time, Carol told herself over and over.

You had to pick your battles with kids.

So when Andrea slid into the booth opposite her she knew right away Carol was a little stressed.

"Hey. Sorry I'm late."

"You aren't late." Carol replied. "I'm early, I needed to just sit and relax a little. Happy Birthday sweetie."

She leaned over and placed a kiss on her friend's cheek. Andrea smiled and nodded thank you.

"Tara texted me, she's coming soon, they tried to call her in, so she was jammed up on the phone, do you know about that?"

"Yeah, HR said the census is up and one of the night shift called out, Tara was the only one who wouldn't go into overtime. But she wouldn't miss this. They got Colleen from 4 west, no big deal."

"What's the first rule of nursing?" Andrea said, her eyes bright and sparkling.

"Never answer your phone on your day off." Tara said scooting into the booth next to Carol. "What a mess that was, sorry I'm late guys. Happy Birthday Andrea.' She looked at the pitcher of Sangria on the table. "Thanks for waiting Car."

She looked at the half gone Sangria.

Carol waved her hand.

"I've had a rough week."

"Who's driving you if you get loaded?"

"I'll switch to water."

Tara took two more glasses off the tray and poured Sangria for her and Andrea, they toasted and Tara turned to her.

"How's it going, Soph ok?"

"Oh yeah." Carol said sipping her Sangria. "She asked today when Daryl was moving in with us."

Tara almost spit out her drink. And Andrea just smirked, as the waitress came over and they placed their orders. They always ordered the same thing five appetizers to split. And one pitcher of Sangria that they shared.

"Well." Andrea said. "When is he?"

Carol rolled her eyes.

"No, hear me out, built in babysitter, someone to take out the garbage, open jars for you and jeez Carol, is he easy on the eyes." Andrea said. "You could get rid of BOB'"

Carol shook her head slowly.

"Oh. Come-on you can't tell me he doesn't look hot in that uniform, tossing stretchers around like it's nothing." Andrea said. "I see a lot of girls and guys at work looking at him."

"He does, he has that whole strong and sexy thing going on." Tara said. "And that's not even my deal."

She laughed. Carol looked at her strangely. Tara was not helping at all.

"What? I can appreciate his broad shoulders and strong arms, just not my deal, I like softer, girls are softer." Tara said. "Hard is not my thing but I can look."

Andrea took a sip of her drink and set in down on the table.

"Well hard is my thing and I'm telling you Carol, if you weren't involved with him, I would climb him like a tree."

Carol laughed. "Go ahead."

Tara snickered. Sipping her Sangria.

She air quoted. "I'm not involved with him."

"Sure, Tara told me all about the tantrum he threw the other day over Randall." Andrea said. "He's involved with you and you're involved with him."

Andrea pointed at her.

"You can deny it if you want, but I'm telling you, even if I was so inclined, that boy doesn't want me climbing him, he wants you."

"He's going to be waiting a long time." She giggled. "Been there, done that."

She giggled again, she never giggled, must be the Sangria.

"Car, your face is so red right now." Tara said. "And don't say it's the Sangria."

"Can we change this subject please, it's Andrea's birthday."

Tara looked over at the door.

"Well, that would be great, if the subject wasn't here." She whistled to herself.

"What!" Carol turned. "He is following me, son of a…."

He waved to Tara and they started to walk over.

"Tara?" Carol turned to her and she shrugged.

He was standing at the table then with Merle next to him. Introducing him to Andrea, Merle already knew Tara.

Merle was checking Andrea out and she was batting her eyelashes at him too, this was a nightmare.

Both men nodded to Tara and said hello to her.

"Hey ladies, mind if we…."

Merle was already sliding into the booth next to Andrea saying something about he heard it was her birthday and did she want a birthday kiss.

Daryl winked at Tara and mouthed thank you to her. She got up and let him slide into the booth with Carol. They pulled over some extra chairs.

"Alisha is parking the car." Daryl said to Tara.

"What? You're crashing our dinner?" Carol said to him.

Daryl looked over at Andrea, who was deep in conversation with Merle. He had his arm around the back of the booth and he was turned towards her talking intently.

"Don't look like she cares, does it?" He said attempting to put his arm around the back of their booth.

"I can't believe this, you have to stop showing up everywhere I go." She said, trying to keep her voice down.

"You won't go out with me, how else am I going to see you?"

Alisha finally arrived and greeted everyone and sat down next to Tara.

"Hey Lish." Tara said.

She said hello to everyone and Carol went back to talking to him.

"You just saw me Wednesday." She said, getting a little annoyed.

"That was Daddy, Mommy time." Merle interjected. "Now it's grown up time."

"And you knew." She pointed to Tara.

Tara shrugged. "Alisha texted and wanted to know where we were."

"I feel like your stalking me."

Merle laughed, that's exactly what he told his brother she would say, but he wanted to come find her anyway. It was like a sickness with him.

It was better than the other sickness, so Merle went along for this ride. And what do you know, a pretty blonde was here. It was Merle's lucky night.

"Come-on." He started to get up, reaching for her hand. "I'm going out for a smoke, come with me."

"Fine we need to talk." She got up. "Don't eat all the wings."

She pointed to Merle, who smiled and shrugged at her.

She followed him outside. Tara turned to Andrea and Alisha. "Yeah, I think she's pissed."

"She'll get over it." Andrea turned back to Merle. "Anyone can tell they are both dying to rip each other's cloths off. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out."

/

Carol stalked after him to the parking lot. As they walked her took out a cigarette from behind his ear and lit it.

She had told him at the park to back off and he wasn't having it because he wanted more. She was not going to do this tap dance with him and have him invade her whole life.

It hadn't worked for them the last time. She wanted him to understand where she stood.

That's what she intended to say to him. That's not what came out though.

Looking back she blamed the Sangria on an empty stomach, but really that wasn't it.

"It's ok Carol, I'm gonna bounce, I know you're mad." He said. "It was a bad idea, and I dunno how I'm going to peel Merle off Andrea now."

She walked closer to him.

"You know what Daryl. You don't have to go." She said walking closer, he backed up as she got closer.

His back hit the wall of the restaurant. She put one hand up on the wall and cocked a hip out.

"No, you want a date so bad, here it is." She said laughing. "And don't you think I'm putting out on the first date either."

Now she was right in front of him so he did the only thing he could think of. He threw down his cigarette and kissed her. Just like he had been wanting to kiss her for the last three weeks. And it was everything they had both remembered. Too much and not enough all at the same time.

"Nice try Carol, but I know for a fact that's a lie."

Then he turned them around so she was against the wall and kissed her again.


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: A little update and a confession of sorts._**

Merle and Andrea hit it off that night, she hoped he would be around again. That was likely since now Daryl and Carol we doing whatever they were doing. It was a mystery to everyone because she wanted him to eat dinner with them, but she wouldn't let him pay for hers. Finally when it almost came to a screaming match Merle took the bill and just paid the whole tab.

Those two were like oil and water and the main reason was perfectly clear to everyone but them.

"You two fight this out somewhere else." He held his arm out for Andrea. "May I escort the Birthday girl to her car?"

Carol's jaw dropped, and she looked at Daryl and he shrugged. You never knew what Merle was going to do. Carol said goodbye to Andrea and kissed her cheek. Everyone also wished her a happy birthday again. Then Andrea and Merle walked out of the restaurant together, holding hands.

"We're taking off too." Tara said taking Alicia's hand. "We'll get her car in the morning, can you drop Daryl and Merle off."

Carol looked up and nodded. It was her and Daryl at the table now. He motioned to the waitress and asked her for two more cokes. Then he looked up at Carol through his bangs that were falling over his eyes. That was his, who me I'm just an innocent boy look. That's how he got her last time. His eyes were her kryptonite.

"Don't give me that look."

He sat back. "What look?"

"The look." She said rolling her eyes. "It's not going to work, you aren't coming home with me."

He smiled and reached across the table to take her hand, sitting up a little bit.

"Carol, I'm shocked that you think that about me."

He said acting offended she would think such a thing.

"I know you." She said. "And it's not happening, I don't want to confuse Sophia, she's already asking when you're moving in."

"She is?" He asked, surprised at this. He didn't know much about kids, he didn't think about her wondering those things. He was wondering them though.

"She's almost five Daryl, she asks a lot of questions."

The waitress came back with their cokes and placed them on the table. She looked at Daryl a little too long for Carol's liking. They were clearly together and yet this girl thought it was ok to gawk at him.

This was always the problem with them. Back when they were together, or whatever it was, women were just drawn to him. She knew when they were together he was all about her, there wasn't any cheating going on, but sometimes she felt like she needed to get a bat.

She didn't want to feel that way again.

"Really, so our daughter wants me to move in?"

He said louder than needed and the waitress got the hint.

"Let me know if ya'll need anything else." She said.

"Thanks." Carol said.

"I would you know."

"Would what?" She said sipping her soda.

"You know, move in with ya'll."

"You can't do that, she won't understand. It's a bad idea."

He shrugged.

"I think it's a good idea."

She shook her head.

"I can sleep in your guest room, couldn't I?'

She smiled at him. That was not a good idea. Her room was right next door, she could see him trying the 'I came in the wrong room in the middle of the night thing'. No thank you.

"You know, this is a lot for her, we have to go slow."

"I know, I was just teasing you." He smiled. "Unless…?"

She shook her head and he nodded, he did understand. Keep it about Sophia, and he would.

"Just kidding, but I want to be a big part of her life, Carol. I want to be there for her, and you."

"You can, I want you too."

"What about Ran-dall." He drew his name out and rolled it over his tongue like it tasted bad, all the while scowling.

"What about him?" She smirked, enjoying his jealousy again.

She wasn't mad anymore about him making a fuss over Randall. She really wasn't vested in that relationship, even before Daryl blew into town. Randall was a doctor who didn't have a lot of time and Carol was a woman who didn't want a lot of his time.

That wasn't a relationship, it was an agreement.

It worked for the seven months they were together, but she knew Randall would find another companion. As much as she hated to admit it, she wanted to start over with Daryl, but she was afraid.

It was her heart on the line, and Sophia's.

That was a dice roll she wasn't prepared for yet. She had to keep putting him off.

"Well it sure didn't look like no Love match there, no offense." He said air quoting love match for emphasis.

His phone vibrated and Carol raised her eyebrows. He took it out and swiped the screen.

"Hmmm, how about tha…"

"What?" She said noticing the smirk on his face.

"Seems Merle is going to Andrea's." He said laughing. "Good for him, so what do you say Carol, wanna screw around?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Is that your line? Come on can't you come up with something better."

He got up and threw some bills on the table and took her by the hand.

"Come on."

He helped her up.

"Where we going?"

"You'll see, come on."

She stopped and he still held her hand.

"Come on Carol, I won't bite." He winked. "Unless you ask real nice."

"You're ridiculous." She said but she allowed him to lead her out of the restaurant.

/

"It's really late Daryl,"

She said as they stood by her car at the edge of a lake, at a quarry, with the bluest water she had ever seen. They were sipping on tea from paper cups that she got at a twenty four hour gas station. They had been standing there for a while talking and sipping their tea. Like the old friends they were.

He said he and Merle used to fish there when they were kids. He had wanted to come back there because it was always so peaceful. When he was a kid he used to ride his bike there and just sit and think.

He would think about life and his future. It hadn't turned out the way he thought. Those days of his child hood when he would come here to escape his home life for a while, he never dreamed he'd be back.

Not like this anyway. He had only dreamed of getting away from his father for a while and it just went wrong.

He was almost twenty eight, had lived a life he wasn't proud of. Now he knew what he wanted, what he had been missing. But it was out of his reach and it was his own fault that it was that way.

She didn't trust him and he didn't blame her.

She made it clear he could see Sophia but she wasn't letting him close to her. It would be his luck to love someone who wouldn't let herself love him.

"I know but it's so nice here isn't it?"

She nodded taking a sip of her tea. It was lemon zinger, her very favorite.

"It is."

"Do you remember Lori's Parents pool?"

Her head swung around so fast she almost got whiplash. She couldn't believe him. He was still a cocky motherfucker.

"Daryl!"

"What? Best night of my life."

She dumped out the rest of her tea abruptly. He had hit a nerve and her mind was going a million miles an hour now.

"Come on. I want to go home."

 _Oh shit, he had fucked up. He could kick himself._

"No, wait, I was just making conversation, it was a great night. Don't be mad."

He had just been wanting to talk about old times and that night was a great night. He had no doubt. He didn't mean to make her mad.

She opened the door to her car.

"Get in if you're coming or I'm leaving." She said raising her voice.

He walked over and put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing trying to calm her down.

"Carol, I'm sorry. I was just...having a memory, I didn't mean …"

"I'm not sleeping with you, and you aren't coming to my house, except to see Sophia. You got that, stop trying to flood me with memories and taking me to romantic places. It's not happening."

She tried to push away from him. He continued to rub her arms up and down.

She was really pissed and for once he really didn't mean anything by taking her here. She was jumping to a huge conclusion. He had just wanted to talk. He wasn't going to try anything, he got what she had been saying. He just wanted to be with her.

But if she had asked him, well, he wouldn't say no.

"I just wanted to take you to my place, the place I love to go to, to share it with you,that's all."

"You never took me here before, not last time. Tell me you went planning on talking about the pool and then trying to get me to fuck you in the water down there."

Again, if she had asked, he wouldn't say no.

"I'm not trying to cause problems for you, I just. I'm sorry."

"But you are my problem Daryl, you always have been." She said turning away from him. He put his hand on her shoulder. Not understanding why she was so mad. She misunderstood him and his intentions totally.

She pushed his hand away with a shrug of her shoulder and turned. When she turned back she let loose with what was really on her mind. Now she was going to give it to him. And then she would go home and have a good cry.

"I've always been in love with you, and it's never made me happy."

 ** _A/N: Yes I stole Carol's line from The Strain if you watch that. Dutch says it to her former girlfriend. FYI I ship Dutch and Fett, I was not happy hahaha._**

 ** _Let me know what you think, reviews are life._**


	8. Chapter 8

Daryl couldn't believe what she just said. They had never talked about love before. When he came back he had decided he wanted to be with her, and not just because of Sophia.

He didn't know it five years ago, but he sure as hell knew it now. He knew what he wanted for the rest of his life.

That's why he went to the hospital that day, and got slapped in the process, but that was kind of one of the things he liked about her.

She never took his shit and gave just as good as she got. That's how he had figured out she was the one.

She would always keep him on his toes and now that he was back, he couldn't stay away from her.

 _Capt., I got a girl I can't stand to be two feet away from._

He suddenly thought about that line from "A Perfect Storm."

That's exactly how he felt.

It was love for him. She was the first person he went to find when he got back. He thought about her when he was away, even when he was getting high.

He had been so jealous when he saw her talking to that Randall, even though he knew he was way out of line. They weren't married.

Not yet.

When he left he didn't know how much he would miss her. But he thought she would never take him seriously.

All that time she felt that way.

She loved him back? He couldn't wrap his head around that. She was way out of his league professionally and in just about everything.

His family was something to be ashamed of and sometimes he was. He came from humble beginnings determined to make something out of his sorry life.

He had met her when he passed his paramedic exam and went to work in the same field as her. He was good at what he did, with a soft spoken way that put his patients at ease at some of the worst times of their lives.

He rode in the back tending to whoever they were transporting and Bob drove the rig.

Before Bob he had been partnered with Abraham Ford, who still drove a rig, but he wasn't switching partners when Daryl came back. He worked with his girl Rosita now.

Daryl got that, and Bob was alright.

His calls brought him to the ER, and Carol was the charge nurse on day shift, and that's how they had started the brief relationship that resulted in Sophia.

He and Merle had planned their trip since they were kids.

It was only supposed to be three months, six at the most. But he had gotten side tracked and then she stopped answering his calls. Carol acted like it was over, but now as he looked at her, he knew what she said was the truth.

She loved him.

He could see it in her eyes, and she said it wasn't a good thing, like love was supposed to be.

It was supposed to make you happy.

He had to fix this, he was on the brink of having everything he ever wanted.

Everything he thought he wasn't worthy of. He acted like a cocky fuck to keep people at arm's length and he never got serious with her last time because he didn't think she wanted him to.

All this wasted time, it was making his head hurt.

 _I will not regret the past, nor wish to shut the door on it._

 _We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness._

He heard those words that echoed through the hundreds of NA meetings he had attended through the years.

Then he heard Merle's voice telling him to suck it up and deal with it.

He just didn't know what to do as she stood there leaning against the car. So he did the only thing he could think of and threw himself against her.

He kissed her like it was the last kiss he was ever going to get. This time she yielded to him completely, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him closer. They kissed for a while, the whole time he kept repeating the same phrase in between kisses.

"I love you, I love you, I love you." He said breathlessly and like a prayer.

Soon her hands were moving up his back to his hair. She raked her hands through his hair, running her fingers over the back of his neck and back to his scalp.

He let out a sound, expressing the deepest pleasure he had ever felt.

She moved her hands over his scalp more and more.

That drove him insane and she knew it. He moved even closer to her, a smile quirking on his lips.

She brought her hands back down to his chest and looked at him. She nodded her head giving him the permission he so desperately wanted.

He let out another sigh and reached down to her ass, and before she knew it he was lifting her up onto the car.

She thought to herself she should stop this, but she didn't want to. Then he was looking at her, he grabbed her knees and pulled her to him. His hands felt good on her now. Something had changed in the last week.

Her heart became soft for him. She knew he was dangerous for her, she knew that five years ago.

She didn't care.

He kissed her again and again while his hands moved up her back and then back down and under her shirt. He was making little circles with his thumbs against her skin, slowly, feeling goose bumps break out on her skin.

He never thought he'd get to touch her this way again.

She was bringing her hands up his sides and kissing him back, he pulled his lips down towards her neck. She tasted so good and he couldn't get enough.

Then he felt her pulling his head up to her face, she looked at him for a minute. He thought she was going to say no, or stop.

"This is not happening if you don't have a condom, I'm just letting you know."

"Stay right there." He said as he opened the car door. He reached in the car and into the glove compartment coming up with a foil packet. He smiled at her and winked.

"If anyone comes and sees us. You are a dead man."

He came back over to her.

"Yeah, I love when you get all bossy with me." He said giving her another kiss and pulling her up against him by her knees.

He looked her directly in the eyes.

"I promise Carol, if you give me the chance, I'll show you that loving me can make you happy."


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Sorry this took so long. I didn't forget this story, but ahhhh life. I hope you enjoy this update.**_

"Carol, I wanna do bad things to you." He landed his lips on her neck. "Really dirty bad things." He said as he kissed down her neck softly. His mouth was open and the kisses were hot as fire on her skin. She couldn't deny she had missed this. He was passionate, with her and about her and that was a feeling she missed.

They had a good thing going there for a while, and even if letting him get close to her again turned out to be a mistake. She knew that while it lasted, it would be so good.

She could separate it, allow him to be a father to Sophia and keep whatever was going to happen with them, just between them.

He pulled her by the knees, slowly, closer to him until her ass was almost hanging off the car. He pushed himself into her and she could feel his arousal through his jeans.

"Feel that?" He pulled her legs around his waist. "This is going to be so good."

He leaned into kiss her hot and dirty like he owned her, digging his fingers into her hair. Taking possession of her because she was his now.

"Are you sure no one comes up here, I swear if we get busted I'm going to kill you." She said looking around the quarry.

"Come 'ere." He smiled wickedly at her and pulled at the button on her jeans. She scooted down and took them down and stepped out of them. He unbuckled his and shucked them off in record time along with his boots. Then he picked her up and placed her back on top of the car.

She let out a little laugh but then it got serious she could tell by the way he was looking at her.

He kneeled down in the dirt and pulled her knees apart, running his hands up her thighs and looking at her, building the anticipation for both of them.

He was a world class tease, she remembered that.

"I remember how good you taste." He looked up at her for a second more and then he brought his face up against her thigh. She flopped back on the hood of the car when she felt his tongue on her knee. He was an expert at this, now she remembered why she kept going back for more.

She dug her hands in her hair not really sure what to do with them.

His hands came up her legs and followed by his lips along the inside of her thigh and she started to tremble. This wasn't something Randall did and Daryl might well have been the last person she did this with.

She sighed outload. A sigh of pleasure and longing because she knew what was comming. Daryl brought his hands up to her stomach to keep her where he wanted her.

He hadn't even gotten there yet and she was half out of her mind. Then she felt his fingers on her, rubbing in circles, his tongue on her doing the same and she was lost. He brought her legs over his shoulders and pulled her up to his face.

The groan he let out when he finally buried his face between her legs made her squirm. He acted like he was dying of thirst and she was the only drink of water for miles. Carol couldn't believe she was letting him go down on her on the hood of her car out in the middle of a public place.

But she was letting him because she knew he was going to get her off in less than five minutes this way. It wasn't just the way he ran his tongue over her, but the noises he made and the vibrations he made across her center.

It was dark with just the moonlight reflecting off the water, but still. This wasn't a thing she ever did. It had been a long time since she let herself go like this and it figured that it was with him again.

He took his hands and spread her legs as wide as possible zeroing in on her like a man on a mission. He had his fingers and his tongue on her now and she was losing it fast.

He licked her with the flat of his tongue and she moaned out loud. That made him smile that wicked grin again, she couldn't see him but she knew he was smiling. She could feel it.

He was always too much for her, way too much. She gripped what she could of the car, and she couldn't, she pounded her hands on the car trying to find somewhere to put them. Finally her hands ended up in his hair and he growled against her because he liked when she pulled his hair.

The sheen of sweat was dripping down her back and she reached to push her hair out of her face in a rush.

He pulled her closer and snaked his hand up to her breast, reaching her nipple and rubbing his fingers back and forth through her shirt. Her back arched up and she almost flew up off the car.

"Oh, my god, fuck, Daryl, fuuccck." She screamed and then realized they were outside but it was too late. She was coming totally undone and he didn't stop, the wave was crashing over her through her entire body. She vibrated with it from head to toe and when she came back down to earth her breath was coming out in gasps. Her chest rising and falling so fast.

She tried to pull away but he wouldn't stop, he had waited a long time to have her again and he wasn't stopping.

"Stop, stop." She said he head moving back and forth. "Oh, my god please."

"You don't want me to stop, you know it." He said and then went right back at her.

He didn't stop until she came again and then he pulled her up into his arms and kissed her.

"Last chance to back out." He said rolling the condom down and lining himself up to her.

He really hoped she wasn't changing her mind because his dick had been aching since he pulled her pants off. She put her arms around his neck.

"Do it." She whispered.

He was inside her in seconds and he knew this wasn't going to last long. He stood still just feeling her around him. Their foreheads up against each other.

They smiled at each other not needing words right now.

She felt so good, and he realized he really loved her. He really did and this was going to be something special.

This felt so different and his head was spinning with it. These past five years he had been looking for something that was right here all along.

Did he really travel all over the United States looking for something better than this?

There was nothing better than this woman, and he was going to spend the rest of his life making sure she knew just that.

He rubbed his thumbs along back and he felt her shudder as he stretched her. She was so tight around him and he just wanted to feel her.

"Move Daryl." She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him against her with her feet.

He crushed his lips to hers and kissed her like he was never going to kiss her again. His tongue mimicking the sexual act that they were engaging in, sliding alongside hers deliciously.

The sensation of being with her again like this was so overwhelming and his blood was thundering in his ears. He moved against her meeting her hips thrust for thrust.

She was warm and wet and everything he would ever want. Trying to calm himself down and keep from losing it was no use and he totally gave himself over to it all.

"Carol, I love you so fucking much." He whispered in the dark as he felt her body contracting around him and heard her soft moans.

"I love you too." She said into his ear. "I'll love you the rest of my life."

Soft words and promises are what did it for him now and he couldn't hold back another minute. His scream echoed through the canyon as well as the string of profanities he let loose as he pumped the last of himself into her.

/

It was well after midnight when they left and she drove him home. They sat in the car outside his house and he tried to talk her into coming in or taking him home and neither worked. They kissed goodnight with plans for him to call her in the morning and come over for breakfast with Sophia.

He told her to call him when she got home so he knew she was home safe and as she drove away she realized it felt good.

Loving him felt good now.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I didn't forget this story. It is actually one of my fav's I just get so distracted sometimes. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.

Tara was over her house bright and early that Saturday morning, she had a key to the house so when Carol didn't answer the door she just let herself in. The house was quiet and it seemed that no one was awake yet.

She could hear the clock ticking on the mantle, it was almost spooky.

Beth was asleep on the couch under a blanket, so she walked past her and down the hall to Carol's room. Sophia was in bed with Carol and they looked adorable, Tara took a quick picture on her cellphone and texted it to Carol's phone. She laughed to herself and then knocked on the door jamb lightly.

Carol sat up with a start but she wasn't scared to see Tara in her room. Just a little surprised, things were slowly coming back to her now.

Daryl, the quarry, the car. Her car which was parked in her driveway right now. She had screwed him on top of the car like a high school kid, and she couldn't bring herself to regret it.

No one knew, but she had a feeling she'd be telling Tara before this morning was over.

Tara was looking at her trying to decide if she was going to tease her or play the worried friend. They had a standing breakfast date every Saturday morning for the last two years when they were off. They never missed. Tara was quite sure she was out late with a certain man with a motorcycle.

Tease it was, she grinned to herself, because it was going to be fun.

"Hey, what's up?" Carol whispered crawling out of bed as not to wake Sophia that would not be good for anyone. She and Tara walked out of the room and down the hall.

"Late night yo?" Tara said pointing to the clock, it was eleven am. Carol was supposed to meet her for breakfast at ten.

"Oh crap, I'm sorry." Carol said. "I didn't forget you, I swear."

Tara crossed her arms and grinned at her, she had been half thinking she would see Daryl around here somewhere but apparently he wasn't here.

Still, there had to be a hell of a good reason for her to miss Dale's pancakes, some weeks that was the only good thing they had.

"Is ok, late night." Tara said.

She asked as Carol made them two cups of coffee.

"Yeah kind of." Carol replied, trying to keep her secret close to her vest, but Tara wasn't having it. They talked quietly so they didn't wake Beth or Sophia.

"Well, he isn't here so, what did you do it in the car?"

Carol didn't answer, in hind sight if that had been the plan all along they could have gone to Daryl's because Merle was at Andrea's last night.

Things with him always, just happened, she never knew what to expect. She had forgotten how thrilling that could be.

It hadn't been planned, it just happened. She had gotten paired up with Daryl after everyone left and it was kind of like it happened on purpose. She handed Tara a cup of coffee and they walked out onto the deck.

He did it on purpose, she was sure of it now.

She would ask him about that later, if he set her up she was going to be pissed.

Tara and Carol sat down at the table and enjoyed the warm sunshine. Tara studied her as they sipped their coffee.

"You did do it in the car!" She said to Carol. "You definitely look like you got laid."

"No, we didn't do it on the car." She realized her mistake as soon as it was out of her mouth. It was like slow motion film. Tara had been sipping her coffee when Carol said that and then she spit it out on the ground.

"On the car, holy shit Carol." She said when she regained her composure. "I guess you aren't mad at him anymore."

Carol sipped her coffee. "Guess not."

/

Daryl drove the road that he remembered from when he lived there before. He didn't come here much before he left but he needed to now. He pulled the bike over and walked down the path to where her grave was.

He carried two bouquets of daisy's one for her and one for the other grave he was going to. He stopped in front of his mother's head stone and laid the flowers on top. He kneeled down in the dirt.

"Sorry Mama that I haven't been around. I'm here to stay now and I'll be here more. I have to tell you about Sophia, your granddaughter. I wish you could be here to know her, but I know you are looking down on us and I hope you can be proud of me now. I'm not gonna fuck this up, I promise you. I'll be a man of honor, like you always wanted."

He laid his hand on the stone and traced his hand on the dates, she had died two months before he and Merle took off on their bike trip. He never mourned her properly, he had learned that in therapy. It was time to put it all into practice now. Progress not perfection he said to himself as he stood up and wiped the dirt off his pants.

"I love you Mama, I'll make you proud. I'll be a better man." He turned to walk away. "I'm gonna go see Miss. Caroline now."

He got back on the bike and drove to the other side of the cemetery to where Carol's mother was buried. She had passed while he was gone and he was pretty sure Carol had told her he was Sophia's father.

Carol and her mother had been close and he had met her a few times. He was sure she was never impressed with him either. Carol's mother was a hard sell, just like her daughter.

He had asked at the church where Caroline's grave was and as he approached he thought about what he wanted to say.

He laid the flowers on top of the head stone just as he did on his mother's.

"Miss Caroline, I know you never thought too much of me. Don't know if it was my last name or the way things were with Carol and me." He swallowed as if the woman was standing before him now, her hands on her hips judging him for whatever transgressions he might have made. "But I love them and I want you to know that I will always put her and Sophia first. They are everything to me."

He looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry it took so long."


	11. Chapter 11

**_So sorry this took so long. Here is a small update to move this story along. Thank you for reading xxxxxx_**

Sophia sat on her booster chair singing along with the music which was 311 'Beautiful Disaster." As Carol and Tara ate a late lunch that day to make up for Carol sleeping through brunch that morning. They were talking about work a little bit and waiting to hear from Andrea who hadn't surfaced at all yet. Tara sat her cellphone down on the table after texting Andrea again.

She was still with Merle they figured.

"I don't know Carol, she probably turned off her phone anyway."

"I'm sure she did." Carol replied. "We won't hear from her until six am tomorrow when she clocks in."

"Good for her." Tara looked at Sophia to make sure she was busy with her fries and singing and then she winked at her. "Good for you too."

Carol grimaced. "I don't know; I think I just complicated my life ten times as much now."

"Nope, I see it getting ten times easier now." Tara remarked taking a bite of her sandwich.

'Don't Tread on Me.' Came on and Sophia started singing that song too. Tara reached over and rubbed the top of her head. "You really know your 311, kid huh?"

Sophia nodded. "Mommy's favorite, can Daddy come see 311 with us?"

Tara grinned at her godchild. Every summer Tara and Carol went to see 311, Carol took Sophia for the first time last summer to see them. She had been almost four, she went from Carol's shoulders, to Andrea's to Tara's all night long.

They had created a monster with this child who loved rock and roll and reggae, just like her mother.

"We can ask him, ok sweetie." Carol said.

Just then Michonne and Andre came in the door and the waitress, Karen came over with a booster seat for Andre and Michonne plopped him in it. He was a year older than Sophia and they played together all the time. Sophia's face was lit up as soon as she saw them walking in.

Karen took Michonne's order and the three friends raised their glasses to each other.

"Where's Andrea? I brought her birthday gift." Michonne said.

Tara shrugged. "Haven't seen her since last night, she went home with Merle Dixon, I don't know if you know him. And in other news Carol got L-A-I-D last night." Tara spelled out the words and Carol's eyes grew wide, but not as wide as Michonne's.

"Excuse me?" Michonne said taking a sip of her drink.

"It was D-A-R…"

"Ok Tara we get the idea." Carol said rolling her eyes towards Sophia who was paying more attention to Andre then them.

"Well." MIchonne said. "Isn't this interesting, I'm in court for three days and look what chaos erupts."

Karen returned with their food and chicken fingers for the kids. She placed the dishes in front of them and they started eating.

"Andrea goes MIA and Carol banged her baby daddy." Tara said. "Business as usual."

"I told you never to call him that." Carol hissed looking over at Sophia to make sure she didn't hear.

"Well, I hope it was good." MIchonne said smiling.

"Stop." Carol said. "It was a onetime thing."

Tara gave her the sure sign. "Sure."

"Alright, I don't know, he wants to try, maybe I do too. I don't know," Carol looked over at Michonne. "Do you miss Mike?"

"Miss him? Hell no, he's a great father but a lousy boyfriend." MIchonne said. "No I don't miss him at all."

"Daryl wasn't even your boyfriend right Carol? More like a booty call." Tara said.

"You know…" Carol started to say and then she stopped, Tara was being a wise ass and as much as she didn't want to admit it she was funny.

"So what if he was a booty call, so what if he still is, it's all about what you want." Michonne said. "This is 2015."

Carol tilted her head towards Sophia. Then her phone beeped with a text. She held it up for them to see. It was from Daryl.

 ** _~What are you wearing?_**

The three women giggled like they were at a high school dance.

"Yup, we are twelve.' Tara said as she handed Sophia and Andre each a fry.

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He called her that night and she sat on the porch talking to him well after Sophia was down for the night. He told her about going to see their mothers and how he had wanted to make a new start with her and Sophia.

Carol wasn't as confused as she thought she would be. The lunch with her friends had opened her eyes to some facts.

She could do what she wanted, they could be whatever they wanted to be. She was so used to doing it all alone that the thought of someone else helping her was foreign at best and downright scary truthfully.

But Carol had already known when she let him put her up on that car that they were going to try again. It wasn't for him or for Sophia either, this time it was for herself.

They made plans to spend the next day together, the three of them and see where things went from there.

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They took Sophia to the park the next day together and then were meeting Merle and Andrea for dinner, which should have been weird but surprisingly wasn't. It was funny how things could change and fall into place without feeling strange.

Andrea was dating Merle it seemed and she and his brother were trying to be a family. It was business as usual and Sophia was taking it all in stride. She had already invited him to 311 as soon as they got in his truck that morning.

He didn't even know who that band was, but he was all in for it, that kid had him wrapped around her finger already.

Carol got up from the table to go to the bathroom before Merle and Andrea arrived. Sophia was in her booster chair across from him with some chicken fingers.

"Daddy?" She said to him and his heart leapt right into his throat again. She had started calling him that right away and it made his heart sing every time.

"Yes sweetheart." He said feeling his heart fill up with unabashed joy.

"Will you marry us? Mommy and me?"


	12. Chapter 12

**_A/N: I have been on a roll finishing up some of my older stories that ran their course. I am about to slow down greatly with writing because school is going to be taking over my life again. I constantly have new ideas running through my head and lately get a lot of satisfaction from one shots. Thank you to everyone who reads and leaves nice reviews. I love you_**

Daryl leaned over to Sophia and looked directly into her eyes, his own eyes. He never got tired of looking at her. She was the best of both of them and the most important person in his life now.

This child had changed his life in a short time and showed him how much you could love something you didn't even know you had. There was a saying about children not being accidents, but surprises you didn't know you wanted.

This was what Sophia was, the biggest best surprise of his life.

He knew this was a question that he and Carol needed to address together but she was a little girl. Her innocence in asking him the question pulled at his heartstrings and reminded him just how precious she was and life was.

 _There was a time when he had no regard for life, his or anyone else's._

He loved her so very much and he didn't want to fuck this up.

"Do you think I should ask her?" He said to her and she grinned and nodded.

He leaned over closer to Sophia as if this was their little secret. It was in a way, but he would be bringing someone else into it very soon.

"Now?" He whispered to her.

"No, silly, you have to get a ring." Sophia said. "The boy gives the girl a ring and gets on his knee."

"Oh." He said playing the game and letting her tell him how to propose to Carol. "Can you help me, after I get a ring?"

She nodded her head vigorously. Her pigtails bobbing and ribbons flying around her sweet face.

He looked up and Carol was coming back to the table so he made the shhhhh sign to Sophia.

"What are you two up to?" Carol asked as she sat down.

"Nothin Mamma, just eating my pancakes." Sophia said grinning at Daryl.

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"You still have Mamma's ring?" Daryl said to Merle as they sat on their front porch later that night after their NA meeting. It was a quiet night and truth be told, Merle was waiting for this question since they found out about Sophia.

He had spent the day with Carol and Sophia and then hooked up with Merle for the meeting at six. Merle knew he had something on his mind, he had been jumpy all night and it wasn't from the coffee. Merle just waited for Daryl to spill his guts like he always did.

They sat on the porch and drank coffee almost every night after their meetings. It was a welcome change from the way it used to be.

 _That had been no fun for anyone._

Merle trying to get high and not being able to get as high as he wanted because he had to look out for Daryl, who did crazy shit when he was high. Merle had to always stay just a little bit straight, if there was such a thing to make sure Daryl stayed out of trouble.

Daryl picked fights with big dudes and hit on every girl in sight, Merle had a lot to deal with back in the day.

"Still in the safety box at the bank. I never took it out cause you know, we woulda sold it for dope." Merle replied. That was the sad truth and he knew it. If they had taken that ring on their journey it would be gone now.

"Can I give it to Carol? Were you thinking of it for you someday?" Daryl asked. Merle was seeing someone now and Daryl didn't want to step on his toes.

"It's serious then? You're going to ask her?" Merle said lighting his cigarette and passing the pack to his brother. Daryl lit it and inhaled deeply.

"Yeah." He said taking a drag from his own cigarette. "Don't know how, or when, but I wanna marry her, be a real family."

"I don't think she's going anywhere. If that has you worried." Merle said. "She would have by now, kicked you out on your ass."

"No, I know that I just, she's what I've been looking for all my life." Daryl said. "Had to travel all over the country just to come right back to where I started."

"Funny how that works hmm, brother." Merle said. "You think she wants to marry you?"

"Probably not, but I'm asking anyway." Daryl said and that was when Merle knew he was serious.

For all his words and bravado Daryl was never one to take chances in life and Merle knew that. It was what kept him from getting close to anyone, ever.

 _It kept him from getting close to her when they were younger._

He pretended to not need anyone but underneath all that he was just like everyone else, who longed for acceptance and somewhere he belonged. He wanted love and someone to share a life with.

"You ask her brother, whenever you're ready, she aint going nowhere."

Daryl nodded because he knew it too neither he or Carol was ever going anywhere without the other again.

The End


End file.
